Lock type fuel tank filling cap



March 7, 1944. s, w s

LOCK TYPE FUEL TANK FILLING 0A? Original Filed March 11, 1940 1N VENT QRY jammy)? Ms:- B l A TTOENEY Patented Mar. 7, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE": j

Original application March 11, 1940, Serial'No. 323,291. Divided andthis application October 6, 1941, Serial No. 413,858

3 Claims.

This invention relates to filling cap devices for closing the fillingstems of gasoline or other liquid fuel tanks and to such cap devices asare provided with key-operated locks to prevent their unauthorizedremoval. Devices of this general class have been proposed illustrativeof which is that constituting the subject matter of my pendingapplication Serial No. 323,291, filed March 11, 1940, now Patent No.2,303,594.. The lock of such a device is operated by a key inserted intoa keyhole and the present invention relates particularly to the covercap sometimes called dust capj provided to normally cover and dust capfor key-operated filling cap devices;

To provide a cover cap of the type referred to having an improved modeof operation.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which myinvention appertains.

H My invention is fully disclosed in the following-,description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing in which,

l is a top plan view of a lock type filling cap device provided with acover cap embodying my invention and indicating in broken line differentpositions which the cover cap may take up in operation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view with parts broken away and parts insection of the embodiment of Fig. 1, and showing the same associatedwith the filling stem of a tank or the like;

Fig. 3 is a view taken from the plane 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing a key inthe keyhole of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view taken from the plane 4-4 of Fig. 2, and showing a partof the cover cap in cross section;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view taken from the plane 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to a part of Fig. 2 illustratingthe cover cap thereof in a different position.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown at l a fuel tank filling stem andgenerally at 2 a lock type closure or cap device for the same. device 2itself may be of any preferred construction for example thatconstituting the principal subject matter of the above mentioned patentapplication. It comprises a device portion 3 hav- Theing an upper wall 4under which is a lock mech anism shown generally, at 5 which may beoperated by a key 6 when inserted through a keyhole or opening laintheupper wall 4.

The keyhole or opening I is normally sealedly covered by a cover cap-8which maybe pivotally swung laterally to give access to the keyhole land this cover cap willnow be described in detail in connection withparts of the device itself with which it cooperates.

'The upper outer surface of the device portion 3 has thereon an annularplanar sealing surface 9 surrounding the keyhole. The cover cap 8 is, inthe preferredconstruction, in the form of a circular shallowdownwardlyopen cup, the skirt ill of which terminates ina planar surface H. Whenthe dust cap is in the sealing or closed position illustrated inFig. 2,the planar surface ll of the cover. cap sealedly engages the annularsurface 9 on the device portion 3. The; cap 8 is directly over thekeyhole 1 and therefore seals the same against the ingress of dust anddirt, water or the like. 1

To effect the said seal the said sealing surfaces are resiliently heldin engagementwith each other by the following means. j A cylindricalboss l2 extends downwardly-from the underside of the dust cap 8 andprojects into a cylindrical recess I3 in the cover 3. The bottom of. therecess 13 is closed by a wall '14 having a perforation l5 therein. A pinI6 is projected through the perforation l5 and a reduced dlameter shankll thereof is press fitted into a corresponding bore in the boss l2 torigidly connect it to the dust cap. The pin has a head 18 on its lowerend and between the head and the bottom 14 of the recess, is a spring I9surrounding the pin it and abutting at opposite ends upon the recessbottom and the pin head, thereby resiliently drawing the pin and thedust cap 8 downwardly to efiect said seal. The cylindrical boss l2 inthe recess l3 and the pin I6 in the perforation [5 function as a pivotalbearing upon which the duct cap may be turned. This bearing as shown isat one side of the cover cap and laterally of the keyhole 1 whereby themajor part of the cap may be pivotally rotated to a position to uncoverthe keyhole. The cover cap may be rotated in either direction through acomplete revolution. Several rotated positions are shown at 8A, 8B, inFig. 1.

I have found that at the time of turning the dust cap to uncover thekeyhole or opening I, a distinct improvement in the operation thereofresults if the sealing face ll of the cover cap is concurrently given anaxial movement away from the engaged sealing face of the device, and toeffect such concurrent movement, the following means is provided.

The upper surface 4 of the cover 3 is provided with an upwardly opengroove 20; and preferably the said recess I3 is disposed intermediatethe ends of said groove so that the groove is in efi'ect in two alignedparts one on each side of the recess.

The aforesaid boss l2 has projecting from opposite sides thereof, a pairof downwardly convex lugs 2l-2l which, when the cap is in the sealedposition, lie in the said groove, the lugs clearing the walls of thegroove so as not to interfere with the seal on the faces 9 and II asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

When the cap 8 is rotated as described, the lugs move into engagementwith the walls of the groove and then ride up outwardly therefrom car.-rying the dust cap with them. It will be seen therefore that the saidlugs and the said groove are in the nature of a cam and cam follower,exerting outward thrust upon rotation of the cap about its pivothearing.

The outward axial movement of the cap 8 upon rotation thereof through 90degrees, representing the extreme throw of the cam and cam follower, isillustrated in Fig. 6. As the cap moves outwardly the spring I9 iscompressed as will be understood.

Upon rotating the cap back to the keyhole covering position, the saidlugs are pulled back into the groove by the spring l9, accuratelypositioning the cover cap, and the cover cap is moved inwardly by thespring l9 and engages the sealing faces 9 and II with an audible snap.Suflicient rotary force applied to the cap compresses the spring, andallows the cap to be rotated; and for convenience in this connection,the cover cap is made of substantial thickness so that its outer sidewall provides a substantial area upon which thumb or finger pressure torotate the cap may be exerted.

When the cover cap has been moved from its sealing position, the tensionof the spring l9, holding the cap toward the device portion 3, maintainsfrictional pressure engagement between the lugs 2l2l and the uppersurfaces of the device portion 3 whereby the cover cap is maintainedagainst accidental displacement in any position to which it is rotated.

It will be observed that the cam and cam follower referred to arecovered by the cover cap in all rotated positions of the latter, wherebythey are kept clean and free from dust or dirt which otherwise mightinterfere with the operation thereof.

Iclaim:

1. In a filling cap device, a body provided with a keyhole, a keyholecover pivotally connected to the body and pivotally movable to uncoverthe keyhole, a cam and a cam follower, one on the body and the other onthe cover, a spring holding the cover toward the body and yieldable topermit the cam and cam follower to move the cover away from the bodyupon turning the cover on its pivot connection to uncover the keyholeand the cam and cam follower being disposed so as to be covered by thecover in all rotated positions thereof.

2. In a lock type filling cap device, a body provided with a keyhole, akeyhole cover connected to the body laterally of the keyhole andpivotally and axially movable thereat to uncover the keyhole, a concavecam recess and a convex cam follower one on the body and the other onthe cover mutually nested when the cover is in keyhole covering positionto predetermlnedly position the cover, the recess and cam follower beingdisposed so as to be covered by the cover in all rotated positionsthereof, a spring holding the cover toward the body, the cover and thebody having portions sealingly engaged by the spring to seal thekeyhole, and the spring being yieldable to permit the cam and recess torelatively move to un-nest them upon turning the cover on its pivotconnection to uncover the keyhole, and to cause the cover to moveaxially on its pivot connection.

3. In a lock type filling cap device, a body provided with a keyholesurrounded by a sealing surface, a generally cup-form keyhole coverhaving a sealing surface on its skirt engageable with the body sealingsurface to seal the keyhole, a connection between the cover and bodylaterally of the keyhole upon which the cover may move pivotally touncover the keyhole and axially to disengage said sealing surfaces, aspring yleldably holding the cover toward the body, and cam and camfollower means between the body and cover for moving the cover axiallyupon pivotal movement thereof the cam and cam follower means beingdisposed so as to be covered by the cover in all rotated positionsthereof.

SOLOMON WISE.

